Computer networks are growing in popularity. Today, a computer user may be expected to connect to a computer network not only at his or her workplace, but also in the home and in commercial establishments (e.g., coffee shops, malls, etc.), as well as while moving about via cellular technologies such as linked wireless hotspots and wide-area network (WAN) technologies.
Additionally, as computer networks have grown in popularity, the means by which computers and users can connect to these networks have grown in number. Where only a few years ago many networks only offered users the ability to connect via a direct, local, wired network interface (e.g., an Ethernet network interface directly to an enterprise network, such as a network interface within an office building), networks are offering an increasing number of network interface types to users. For example, some networks (e.g., enterprise networks) may offer, in addition to or as an alterative to wired network interfaces, wireless network interfaces operating according to one or more protocols (e.g., one or more of the Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers' (IEEE) 802.11 protocols), remote network interfaces via protocols such as those which establish Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), and/or other types of network interfaces. Home networks, too, are experiencing a growing number of network interface options. Increasingly, home networks offer wired network interfaces and/or wireless network interfaces using one or more networking technologies such as IEEE 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, and/or 802.11n.
Accordingly, a contemporary computer may support a wide array of networking technologies which may be used to connect to computer networks, and a computer network may offer multiple types of network interfaces to computers seeking to connect.